Fishing signal

ABSTRACT

A signal device for indicating the bite of a fish on a fishing line is attached to a support for a fishing rod and comprises a housing of current-conducting material for a battery and a battery-operated lamp. A lever of current-conducting material is pivotally mounted on the housing and the fishing line engages the end of the lever. An electrical contact is positioned on the housing near the lever. A pull on the line will pivot the lever into engagement with the contact to complete the circuit to the lamp and provide a visual signal to the fisherman.

United States Patent 51 Aug. 1,1972

Cala

[54] FISHING SIGNAL [72] Inventor: James S. Cala, Keithwood Dr., RD.

#3, Valencia, Pa. 16059 [22] Filed: July 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 54,753

[52] U.S. Cl ..43/17 [51] Int. Cl. ..A0lk 97/12 [58] Field of Search..43/17 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,948,076 8/1960Patricello ..43/17 1,737,921 12/1929 Derr ..43/17 3,041,769 7/1962 Brayet al ..43/17 Primary Examiner-Samuel Koren Assistant Examiner-Daniel J.Leach Attorney-Linton & Linton [57] ABSTRACT A signal device forindicating the bite of a fish on a fishing line is attached to a supportfor a fishing rod and comprises a housing of current-conducting materialfor a battery and a battery-operated lamp. A lever of current-conductingmaterial is pivotally mounted on the housing and the fishing lineengages the end of the lever. An electrical contact is positioned on thehousing near the lever. A pull on the line will pivot the lever intoengagement with the contact to complete the circuit to the lamp andprovide a visual signal to the fisherman.

2 Claim, 4 Drawing Figures FISHING SIGNAL The present invention isconcerned with a signalling device for indicating when a fish is bitingon bait attached to a fishing rod line connected to said signal.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a signallingdevice operable by a fishing line when fish are biting on bait attachedto said line and which signalling device and a fishing rod for said linecan be connected to the same fishing rod holder.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a fish-bitingindicator which can be permanently or detachably connected to a fishingrod holder on which a fishing rod is detachably supported and whichindicator will not interfere with the removal or mounting of the fishingrod relative to the holder and can be quickly and easily detached fromor attached to the fishing line of said rod.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a visual signaloperable by a fishing line to indicate when a fish is biting on saidline and which signal can be of various colors keyed to the bait beingused on the line whereby a plurality of such signals can be used eachwith a different line and bait to show which bait is attracting the mostfish.

Further objects of the invention will be in part obvious and in partpointed out in the following detailed description of the accompanyingdrawing, in which,

FIG. 1 is a partial side elevation of a fishing rod holder and fishingrod with signal thereon as in use,

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the present signal taken on line 2-2of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a top the of the signal.

Referring now more particularly to he accompanying drawing in which likeand corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference numerals, 1indicates the shaft of a fishing rod holder which has a lateral support2 with upturned free end 3 and with resilient clamp 4 attached to saidsupport.

A conventional fishing rod 5 has handle 6 detachably held by clamp 4 andresting on the end of free end 3. Reel 7 attached to said handle hasline 8 extending therefrom and along rod 5 in the usual manner.

Support 2 has edge slots or recesses 9 and 10 in which are positionedscrews 11 and 12, respectively.

A signal 13 has an open-front box l4-l8 including back 14 of currentconducting material, top wall 15, bottom wall 16, and side walls 17 and18. Threaded openings 19 are provided at the wall corners on the openfront of said box so that cover 20 can be attached thereto by screws 21.

A battery case 22 is attached to back 14 and side wall 18 and connectors23 are attached to the terminals of the battery in said case.

A reflector 24 is attached to back 14 and covers an opening 27 in saidback. Lamp socket 25 is mounted through reflector 24 and has a lamp 26attached thereto. A cylindrical lens 28 is attached to the exterior ofback 14 enclosing opening 27 and lamp 26.

A bolt 29 extends through back 14 and an end portion of lever 30pivotally supporting said lever. A nut on bolt 29 retains lever 30thereon. The other end portion 31 of said lever is bent to extend normalto said lever and has a side notch 32 therein.

A semi-circular series of openings 33 extend through back 14 and an endof leg 34 of coil spring 35 extends into one of said openings. Spring 35is wound around bolt 29 between back 14 and lever 30 and has a second Ileg 36 hooked over the top of lever 30, tending to hold lever '30abutting the head of bolt 37 extending through back 14. A nut holds bolt37 on said back and said bolt provides an electrical conductor to back14.

A third bolt 38 providing a contact also extends through back 14 and isinsulated from said back by a sleeve 39 of electrical insulatingmaterial. A nut also retains bolt 38 on back 14.

Wire 40 is attached to one terminal of socket 25 and to bolt 37. Wire 41is attached to the other terminal of socket 25 and one terminal of thebattery. Wire 42 is attached to the other terminal of the battery and tobolt 38.

Back opening 27 is threaded and lens 28 has a threaded peripheralportion at its open end in threaded engagement with said back openingthreads. Reflector 24 is attached to back 14 by solder and battery case22 is also attached to back 14 as by solder or welding.

In the use of the present signal as for night fishing, screws 11 and 12are slid into support slots 9 and 10, respectively, and tightened intotop wall 15 of the signal, fastening the signal to support 2. Shaft l isinserted at its lower end into a supporting surface such as the ground,beach or the like where it is desired to fish until said shaft willremain upright with the fishing rod 5 extending out towards the water.Line 8 is inserted in notch 32 of lever 30 as shown in FIG. 1 and thebaited hook of said line dropped into the water. At such time, nocurrent is passing to lamp 26 and thus no light shines through lens 28.However, when a fish bites on the baited hook on line 8, it will pullsaid line taut, tending to straighten said line between reel 7 and rod 5and raising lever 30 about bolt 29. Said raised lever will contact bolt38 and said lever being of a current-conducting material will completethe circuit for lamp 26, lighting said lamp and thus a visual signalwill be seen through lens 28 to the fisherman. That is, current willflow from one terminal of the battery in casing 22 through wire 42 tobolt 38, then through lever 30 to bolt 29, from bolt 29 through back 14to bolt 37, wire 40, lamp socket 25, lamp 26, and wire 41 to the otherterminal of said battery. When the fish is caught and removed from thehook, line 8 will allow lever 30 to drop under the action of spring 35breaking the circuit and discontinuing the visual indication by lamp 26.1

The tension on spring 35 can be varied by moving leg 34 into anyone ofthe openings 33 to obtain the desired tension of said spring.

A fisherman can use a number of the present supports, rods and signalsand the lighting of lamp 26 in any one of the signals will indicate tohim the line on which the fish is biting. Also different bait can beused on different lines 8 and lenses 28 of different colors used so asto indicate which bait is attracting the fish.

Signals 13 can be permanently or detachably connected to the supports 2and when desired, can be quickly and readily detached as when thefishing rod is to be used without the signal. Also line 8 can be quicklyand easily attached or detached from lever 30 as said line is merelyinserted sideways in notch 32.

The present signal 13 can as well be used with other types of fishingrod supports and fishing rods than those shown in the drawing.

I claim:

l. A signal for use with a fishing rod support and fishing rod thereoncomprising a housing attachable to the fishing rod support, a lampmounted on and visible exteriorly of said housing, a lever of currentconducting material pivotally connected to said housing and having anotch for receiving the fishing line therein, a battery having aterminal connected to said lamp, a contact mounted on and insulated fromsaid housing, positioned for being contacted at times by said lever andconnected to a second terminal of said battery, means electricallyconnecting said lever to said lamp, a coil spring having a leg on saidlever and a second leg, and said housing having a series of openingswhereby said spring second leg can be selectively inserted in any one ofsaid series of openings to vary the tension of said spring.

2. A signal for use with a fishing rod support and fishing rod thereoncomprising a housing of current conducting material, being attachable tothe fishing rod support, a lamp mounted on and visible exteriorly ofsaid housing, a lever of current conducting material pivotally andelectrically connected to said housing and having a notch for receivingthe fishing line therein, a battery having a terminal connected to saidlamp, a contact mounted on and insulated from said housing, positionedfor being contacted at times by said lever and connected to a secondterminal of said battery and a conductor connected to said housing andto said lamp.

1. A signal for use with a fishing rod support and fishing rod thereoncomprising a housing attachable to the fishing rod support, a lampmounted on and visible exteriorly of said housing, a lever of currentconducting material pivotally connected tO said housing and having anotch for receiving the fishing line therein, a battery having aterminal connected to said lamp, a contact mounted on and insulated fromsaid housing, positioned for being contacted at times by said lever andconnected to a second terminal of said battery, means electricallyconnecting said lever to said lamp, a coil spring having a leg on saidlever and a second leg, and said housing having a series of openingswhereby said spring second leg can be selectively inserted in any one ofsaid series of openings to vary the tension of said spring.
 2. A signalfor use with a fishing rod support and fishing rod thereon comprising ahousing of current conducting material, being attachable to the fishingrod support, a lamp mounted on and visible exteriorly of said housing, alever of current conducting material pivotally and electricallyconnected to said housing and having a notch for receiving the fishingline therein, a battery having a terminal connected to said lamp, acontact mounted on and insulated from said housing, positioned for beingcontacted at times by said lever and connected to a second terminal ofsaid battery and a conductor connected to said housing and to said lamp.